


A Prince's Choice

by sansakatara



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M, ellaria and oberyn have the best relationship, ellaria has a gentle heart but she has a bite to her too, slightly anti olenna tyrell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26896882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansakatara/pseuds/sansakatara
Summary: She might be a whore, but Ellaria Sand knew her history well.
Relationships: Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	A Prince's Choice

“I’m surprised the Lannisters permitted the Serpent’s Whore among us. A bastard, too. Perhaps the Red Keep is fonder of bastards than I thought.” The words that the Lady Olenna greet her and Oberyn with in the yard are barbed. _She does not waste time on sweetness like her granddaughter, be they genuine or false._

Ellaria feels Oberyn stiffen beside her, and her love for him warms her. _Always protective, my prince._ She swiftly touched a gentle hand on his arm, to quench his anger. _I will handle this, Oberyn._ She and Oberyn are avid talkers, well to one another at least. Oberyn had once remarked that it was a shame it was not the same for other marriages. Of course, Ellaria and Oberyn were not actually married- not even Dorne would allow that. But the years together made them feel as if they were, and it had made them able to sense each other’s thoughts at times. Just as Ellaria had been able to instinctively sense her daughters’ needs when they were babes when they could not voice them.

Ellaria gave the Lady Olenna one of her loveliest smiles; the smile that Oberyn had said made him fall in love with her.  
“I am fortunate that the Lannisters were so kind, yes.” Ellaria replied, her tone deliberately reverent – as if she was talking to someone important.  
“And I am even more fortunate, for my prince.” Ellaria continued on. “I am, after all, only the bastard daughter of my father’s house. I am fortunate that my prince chose me, or else I would never have been able to have Tywin Lannister object to me attending his grandson’s wedding in the first place.”

Olenna Tyrell is not a stupid woman. And a woman clever with her insults is always quick to recognise a well-placed one by another. Ellaria had framed her response deliberately, putting a pointed edge in the word _prince._  
She might be a whore, but she knew her history well.  
Ellaria understood that Lady Tyrell, then a Redwyne, had once been promised to Prince Daeron Targaryen. However, three of his older siblings had broken their betrothals – Prince Duncan to marry Jenny of Oldstones, and Jaehaerys and Saera to each other, as Targaryens had been fond of doing. With these broken betrothals, it had taken the sacrifice of a dutiful daughter in Princess Rhaelle, who had been wed to the son of Lord Lyonel Baratheon; the father of the girl that Prince Duncan had refused for his beloved Jenny. The poor girl must have thought she was saving her house, with this marriage. They all know what became of House Targaryen, in the years that followed it.

His siblings' actions must have given him courage, for Daeron had decided to end his betrothal as well. With that, Olenna had married Lord Luthor Tyrell, while Daeron himself never wed. Ellaria was also quite aware that the Lady Olenna was fond of saying that it had been her who ended the betrothal. Ellaria felt only contemptuous pity at the old woman’s pride, that not even the long years had managed to soften. After all, Prince Daeron had been a thirdborn son and once his older brothers had children, he would have been pushed even further down the line of succession, to the point where there would have been little hope of him ever sitting the Iron Throne. Although married to a prince, Olenna would never have been a queen. As the Lady of Highgarden, Olenna wielded more power than she would have as a wife of a thirdborn son, whenever royal or not.  
But perhaps her pride did not allow her to see that if she was so fond of telling everyone her version. Even though most wouldn’t have been alive then anyway, like her granddaughter or herself or gentle Sansa Stark, whose gentleness had somehow not been ruined by the lions.

Olenna Tyrell was a proud woman Ellaria knew, and she would not have appreciated being spurned by a prince.  
She must appreciate even less to know that this woman, who was not even trueborn, had been chosen by hers.  
Ellaria smiled once at the old woman who silently studied Ellaria’s features, before nodding her head once more. She then pulled Oberyn away with her.  
Oberyn was silent. Ellaria tensed. “Do you think I should not have said that, Oberyn?”  
“No. You were perfect, my Ellaria.” Oberyn smiles warmly at her, with the kind of smile that had made Ellaria fall in love with him.


End file.
